#Throwback: Scenes From This Year's #PreviewBall

Just like your first day at school, “Have you gotten your ID photo taken yet?” was the most overheard query that Friday night. We converted the halls of Whitespace Manila into a fashion girl’s dream university for the Preview Ball. We had classrooms, a school parking lot with Mazda2s all lined up, and a bar-cum-laboratory replete with test tubes, beakers and Ladurée “molecules.” Everything was painted white—from the piled-up school chairs to the taxidermy and framed pressed ferns of the biology vignette—creating a picture-perfect backdrop. Because what’s the point of a party if you can’t take an awesome OOTN?

At the registration tent, people arrived in cliques: There was a wave of quirky, bookish wallflowers, with photographer Shaira Luna as the poster prodigy wearing a custom Preview U patch. Then a battalion of Star Wars fans marched in with Janina Dizon-Hoschka (who has mastered the art of dressing up like a geek to a tee) and the Gibbs sisters Chi and Gabs with their BFF Aira Medina in command.

“She’s almost here, maybe 15 minutes away,” remarked Alexa Cheng, a Preview Emerging Fashion Talent alumna and now part of The SM Store’s digital marketing team, in an all-red brocade suit. She was waiting for Aimee Song at the drop-off point, together with the stylish trio of Bea Marin, Renee de Guzman and Jeline Catt, who were fans of the ever-so-nice @songofstyle. The red carpet was abuzz when stylist Liz Uy made her way through the row of photographers. She aced our ‘‘Geek Chic’’ dress code in a dress and beaded scarf from Tommy Hilfiger, which she paired with an embroidered jacket and gold heeled loafers, both from Gucci.

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IMAGE Andrea Beldua

"We became good friends after the ball!" says actress Max Collins after hanging out all night with Martine Cajucom during the ball.

IMAGE Andrea Beldua

Kiana Valenciano and Sam Concepcion were obviously having a lot of fun.

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IMAGE Andrea Beldua

Never apart: Renee de Guzman, Bea Marin, and Jeline Catt all slayed it in three different and unique looks.

By 10:30 p.m. every corridor, school chair, and nook by the lab was packed with stylish students who wouldn’t think of cutting dance class that evening. As Preview EIC Isha Vallés welcomed our July cover girls Aimee Song and Liz Uy and shared a toast to our 21st year, DJ Xtina Superstar took over the turntables, getting everyone to bob their heads to a ’90s pop mix that brought back #feels of prom.

See the entire feature when you download a copy of our September issue here.